Hotels in Bordeaux, France

A little about Bordeaux...

Bordeaux is a port city in the south-west of France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department. Bordeaux wine draws its name from the city around which it has been produced since the 8th century. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.

Bordeaux has about 117,000 hectares of vineyards, 57 appellations, 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, 13,000 grape growers, 400 traders and sales of 14.5 billion euros annually. With an annual production of over 700 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world.

Bordeaux is classified "City of Art and History". The city has been inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble". Bordeaux is home to one of Europe's biggest 18th century architectural urban areas, making it a sought-after destination for tourists and cinema production crews. It stands out as one of the first French cities, after Nancy.

Bordeaux boasts plenty of options for shopping. In the heart of Bordeaux is Rue Sainte-Catherine. This pedestrian only shopping street is 1.2 kilometers of shops, restaurants and cafes. It is also the longest shopping street in Europe. Rue Sainte-Catherine starts at Place de la Victoire and ends at Place de la Comedie by the opera house. The shops become progressively more upscale as you move towards Place de la Comedie and the nearby Cours de l'Intendance is where you'll find the more exclusive shops and boutiques.

The main railway station, the Gare St-Jean near the centre of the city, welcomes 4 million passengers a year. It is served by the French national (SNCF) railway's high speed train, the TGV, that allows a trip to Paris in 3 hours, offering connections with major European centres such as Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Geneva and London. The TGV also serves Toulouse and Irun from Bordeaux. Regular train service is provided to Nantes, Nice, Marseille and Lyon. The Gare St-Jean is the major hub for regional trains (TER) operated by the SNCF to Arcachon, Limoges, Agen, Périgueux, Pau and Bayonne.